Antiskid-chain for vehicle-wheels



E. COX.

ANTISKD CHAIN FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

APPLICATION man 1AN.5.1917.

11,362,85 1 Patented Deo. 21, 1920.

aff @KX y/ .f/

f x//J Q@ Q@ u 'a C@ f a /3 H Wa Q@ @Q 0 l /7 C@ /a f/ W 6 l gmwm ation/w11 J UNITED STATES ED COX, OF LNTON, INDIANA.

ANTISKID-CHAIN FOR A"WEBSIGLE-VIIEIETJS Application filed January 5, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ED COX, a citizen or' the United States, and a resident of Linton, in the county of Green and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in AntiskideChains for Vehicle-VVheels, of which the following is a specilication.

The present invention relates to anti-skid chains adapted for attachment to vehicle wheels, particularly for use on automobiles, trucks and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chain oi' this character which is of such construction that when applied to the wheel it cannot slide circumiierentially thereon, and thus cannot injure the tread or tire of the wheel by cutting into the surface of the same and peeling or chipping the tread.

vThe invention has for another object to provide a chain of this character which,

i when applied has no ends or parts which prolso ject from the wheel and which may engage the brake rods and other devices adjacent to the wheel for injuring` the same, or the chain.

It is the further aim of the present invention to provide an anti-skid chain for attachment to vehicle wheels and tires wherein no fasteners are placed on the tread of the wheel so that the same cannot be injured by contact with the ground and the weight of the vehicle, andwherein but a single fastener is employed, and is so located that access may `be readily had thereto and the fastener is arranged so as to at all times be spaced above the roadway and out of direct contactwith mud and the like.

yThe above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more particularly brought out in the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle wheel having a chain constructed according to the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged view of the inner free end of one of the tread sections of the chain, and a portion of the connecting section of the chain engaged therethrough and being adjusted to permit of the longitudinal sliding and adjustment of the free end of the tread section thereon.

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged view of a por- Speccation of Letters Patent4 Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 140,786.

tion of the connecting section of the chain, showing in section the inner end of the tread section or portion of the lchain in interlocked position.

Fig. a is a detail perspective view of one of the tread or tire sections of the chain.

Fig. 5 of the detachable fastener employed for holding the ends of the connecting sections together.

Referring to this drawing, wherein like parts are designated by similar numerals of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates a hub of ordinaryconstruction having spokes 11 radiating therefrom` to support a rim 12 upon which is shown a pneumatic tire 13, l

The chain comprises a plurality of tread or tire sections 111 and a connecting section adapted tol be secured to' the tread sections 111 i'or holding the chain in place. As shown in Fig. a, each tread or tire section 1a comprises a single length of chain having a relatively large end or loop 15 upon one end through which is adapted to be loopedV the opposite free end of the chain. The free end of the chai-n is provided with a relatively long, flat link 16 adapted for engagenient with the connecting section.

The connecting section is composed of a plurality of alternately arranged supporting links 17 and retaining or locking links 18, the same being connected together and lying in planes substantially at right angles to each other. 'As shown particularly in iligs. 2 and 5, end links 23 form the terminals Vof the connecting section. These links 17, 18 and 28 are oi: such width that they are capable of being turned one upon the other to approacha common plane, as shown in Fig. 2, and the links 16 of the tread sections are of such widtlr that they may pass over the connecting sections 17 and 23, as shown in FigQ, when the sections 17 and V28 are turned relatively and axially to approach'a common transverse plane. lVhen the connecting section is drawn taut, however, the links 17 and 18 interiit at their'adjacent ends and are thereby held at substantially rightangles to each other to prevent the twisting or turning of the links one upon the other.

The free ends of the connecting section are detachably connected to each other by a fastener, such as shown in Fig. 5 in detail. rilhe fastener in the present instance comis a detail enlarged side elevation overlapping lips 22 are adapted for engagement through the ends of the adjacent rings or links 23 which are formed upon the oppositeV ends of the connecting section. lt is readily understood that Vby turning the por' tions V19Vand 20 in opposite directions about the rivet 21, the lips 22 are separated and the links 23 may be readily detached therefrom by slightly twisting or turning the links upon the ends ofthe connecting member. Y

ln applying the improved anti-skid chain to vehicle wheels, any desired number of treadY sections may be employed, each one of which is iirst engaged around the tire 13 and Y rim 12 with the Vfree endiof the tread section i arranged'against the side of the wheel and extended through the same between the spokes 11. The free end of the chain is now inserted through the loop 15- and drawn taut. rlhe connecting section is now applied by passing the Y relatively narrow fastener and the; links` 23 through the connecting links 16 on the free ends of the tread sec` tions. The supporting andlocking links 17;, 18 and 23 are collapsed as shown in Fig. 2, andthe connecting portion ofthe device is threaded through all of the links 16 of the tread sections employed. rlhe connecting section is now drawn taut and the detachablefastener is secured through the adjacent Y' links V23 4to hold the parts in position as shown in Fig. 1...* Y It is readily seen that any number of the Ytread sections may be em- Y ployed, and that the inner ends thereof are held -from longitudinal displacement upon the connecting section by meansfof the locking links 18. The free endsof the tread Vsections are `also located at the side of the wheelas said free ends are drawn through the spokes and threaded through the rings or loops 15, `and are then drawn toward the hubfof the wheel to bind the tread sections firmly about the tire and the rim. This bindingof the tread sections about the tire Vand the rim, and the anchoring of the inner free ends thereof upon the connecting sections, prevent the circumferential displacement of the tread sections and the consequent chafing or rubbing thereof upon the ire. rl`he tread sections therefore cannot slip to injure or chipthe tire, and insure a firm gripping or catching of the wheel upon the ground. Preferably, the tread sections are arranged opposite to the spaces between each adjacent pair of spokes 11 as shown in Fig. 1fso that the spokes 11 cannotv become injured by contact Vof the chains 14 thereagainst. lt will also be Vnoted that the connecting section of the chain is arranged in spaced relation from the hub 10.

so that the latter is protected from Contact with the links of the chain. Vhen. the chain is thus applied, there are no free ends to strike mud guards, brake rods and the like, and all of the connecting parts are arranged upon the side of the wheel so that ar-cess may be readily had thereto, and the device V,does not interfere with any of theV operative parts ofthe vehicle to which the chain is applied. Thesingle fastener for holding all 0f the parts together is arranged at the outer side of the wheel and at a point adjacent to the hub 10 and away from the tire 13 and rim 12. rl`he fastener is thus protected and cannot be injured by contact with the roadway.

1t is of course understood that variousl changes and modifications may be made in the details 0f construction of this anti-skid chain without departing from the spirit of the invention, and being restricted only'by the scope of the following claim.

claim'r-V "i" he combination with a plurality of treadV chains each having an enlarged link at one end and onjitsother end an elongated link.

direction.

` Y ED COX. 

